Leaf descriptors to use in microhistological discrimination of some forage species

Abstract

The aim of this paper was to identify efficient descriptors on leaf epidermis to use in microhistological discriminations of some forage species. The species were collected in a cultivated pasture located at the campus of Universidade Federal de Santa Maria (Federal University of Santa Maria, state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil): Lolium multiflorum Lam., Trifolium repens L. Paspalum urvillei Steud., Echinochloa crusgalli (L.) Beauv. var. crusgalli, E. crusgalli (L.) Beauv. var. cruspavonis, E. colona (L.) Link. (Echinichloa spp.) and Setaria geniculata (Lam.) Beauv. The efficiency of the observer to identify the species studied was conducted by the χ² test and the degree of similarity between real and estimated composition of the mixtures were calculated by Kulcynski Similarity test. The main descriptors to identify botanical mixtures by the microhistological technique were: stomata and silica-bodies patterns, crystal type and length of intercoastal long-cells